Locomotive sanding device



Dee-9, 1930. v. L. FRANTZ ETAL LOCOMOTIVE SANDING DEVICE Filed Feb. 15. 1929 Patented Dec. 9, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VIRGIL L. FRANTZ AND GREEN 0. LEMON, OF ROANOKE, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNORS TO SAID FRANTZ LOCOMOTIVE SANDING DEVICE Application filed February 13, 1929. Serial No. 339,715.

The invention relates to means for applying sand to the rails beneath the traction wheels of locomotives or the like.

In Patent No. 1,263,722 granted to William H. White on April 23rd, 1918, there is disclosed a locomotive sanding device embodying a sand box or dome from which lead sand pipes connected with sand traps having discharge pipes leading therefrom to points in advance of the driving wheels of the locomotive. The sand is forced out by compressed air controlled by a suitable valve means within the locomotive cab. In this particular device and in others of a more or less similar nature, the sand trap has therein a nozzle from which compressed air discharges for forcing the sand through the delivery pipes. These devices also include cleaning means generally consisting of a port located opposite the entrance to the delivery pipe and receiving compressed air from a separate pipe, the purpose being to prevent clogging of the delivery pipe. In devices of this nature it is customary to provide a valve for controlling the flow of compressed air successively to the cleaning pipe and discharge jet, the valve being manually'operable to control the flow of pressure.

The present invention has for its principal object the provision of a valve located within the compressed air line to the sand trap and connected with the cleaning pipe, this valve acting to permit the passage of compressed air for a short period of time to the cleaning pipe and port and then automatically closing so that the compressed air will be subsequently supplied to the discharge jet only.

An important object of the invention is to provide a valve of this character which requires no manual control but which is actu-.

ated involuntarily by a manually operated sanding valve to remotely control automatically the supply of compressed air to the cleaning pipe and port.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a sanding device embodying a valve of this type of such construction t at it will remain open for a predetermined pcriod to insure the proper flow of compressed air to the cleaning pipe or port, the

valve also having means for cushioning its action and preventing slamming or premature closin Another ob ect of the invention is to provide a valve of this type which is normally open and provided with means for returning it to open position after actuation by air pressure so that it will be ready for a repeated action.

- An additional object of the invention is I to provide a mechanism of this character which will be simple and inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install, positive and automatic in action, durable in service, and a general improvement in the art.

To the attainment of the foregoing and other objects and advantages, the invention preferably consists in the details of construction and the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustratedin the accompanying .drawing in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic elevation of Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates, generally, a portion of a locomotive having the usual driving wheels 2. The numeral 3 designates a sand box or dome which is mounted on top of the boiler as is customary and which contains sand conducted through the sand pipes 4 to sand traps 5 and 6 from which lead delivery pipes 7 and 8, the former being provided for the purpose of conducting or delivering sand in advance of the driving wheels and the latter being for the purpose of conducting sand to the rear thereof'when the locomotive is operated in reverse. The sand traps, sand pipes and delivery pipes are provided at both sides of the locomotive as will of course be readily understood and it is naturally intended that the action will be the same at both sides whether the locomotive be running forwardly or rearwardly. In view of the disclosure in Patent No. 1,263,722 granted April 23rd, 1918, to William H. vWhite it is thought unnecessary to illustrate the construction of the sand traps as a full understanding in regard thereto may be had by inspecting said patent. It is thought sufficient for present purposes to state that compressed air is supplied tothe discharge jets within the traps 5 and 6 through pipes 9 and 10 respectively, and that compressed air is supplied to the clean ing ports through pipes 11 and 12 respectively. The discharge pipes 9 and 10 at each side of the locomotive are connected by transverse pipes 13 and the cleaning pipes 11 and 12 at each side are similarly connected by pipes 14. As mentioned above, the usual practice is to provide manually operated valve means for controlling flow of compressed air to the pipes 11 or 12, and 9 or 10, successively, this depending upon the direction of movement of the locomotive. The objection to manual means of this type, such as disclosed in the above mentioned White Patent No. 1,263,722, is that the engineer may permit compressed air to pass to the cleaning pipes and ports for either too long or too short a time. If the time .is too short the delivery pipes may not beproperly unclogged and if the time is too long there is a waste of compressed air. As a matter of fact we have not shown any manual valves for controlling the passage of compressed air to the sanding devices as this is a detail immaterial in the present combination.

In accordance with the invention we provide automatic valves indicated generally at 15 and 1 6 interposed between the cleaning pipes 11 and 12 and the supply pipes 17 and 18 respectively which are equipped with any suitable control valves, not shown. The discharge pipes 9 and 10 are connected with the supply lines 17 and 18 respectively in advance of the automatic valves 15 and 16 as clearly indicated in Figure 1. The valves .15 and 16 are identical in construction so 21, and this seat is adapted to be engaged and closed by a valve 24 above or ad acent which are guide vanes of ribs 25 beyond which is a piston 26. The valve 24 is adapted to permit or cut off communication between the inlet 20 and the outlet 21 and is normally held in open or unseated position by a I side of the valve. As it is desired to retard 1 or cushion the closing movement of the valve 24, a vacuum producing means is provided, this means comprising a cap 28 secured to the body 19 and formed with a cylinder 29 within which the piston 26 is slidable. The diameter of the piston and cylinder should be less than that of the valve 24 for obvious reasons and it is preferable that the piston 26 be cored out or otherwise provided with a hollow portion or chamber 30 so as to avoid the formation of too high a vacuum to permit closing of the valve in the manner to be described.

Assuming that the entire apparatus has been assembled and installed upon a locomotive as shown in Figure 1, and as described, and likewise assuming that the automatic valves are in their proper relation to the other parts as shown, the operation is as follows:

When whatever valve provided for the u long as the valve 24 is unseated the air passing through the auxiliary. valve device flows to the cleaning pipe or port. The time re quired for the pressure and frictional drag to cause seating of the valve 24 is comparatively slight so there is not much more than a momentary cleaning blast. WVhen the valve member 24 tends to seat movement is retarded and slamming prevented by the partial vacuum formed behind or above the piston 26. The relation of the diameter of the piston to that of the valve 24 should be so gauged as to avoid possibility of failure of the valve member 24 to close or seat but this is a detail which may be readily worked out either by trial or computation. Just as soon as the valve member 24 seats, the cleaning blast ceases and the air then passes only through the discharge pipe 9 or 10, as the case may be, so that sand will be forced out through the delivery pipes 7 or 8. Air pressure continues to fiow through these discharge'pipes and delivery pipes until whatever valve provided in the pipes'17 or 18 is cut off but the auxiliary or automatic valve remains closed until this air pressure is cut off whereupon the spring 27 will return the movable valve member 24 to its normal open position, the action of the spring being assisted by the tendency of the partial vacuum formed in the chamber 29 to draw the piston 26 thereinto.

From the foregoing description and a study of the drawing it Wlll be apparent that we voluntary action on the part of the engineer required to effect the necessary cleaning.

The mechanism is consequently safeguarded against carelessness or forgetfulness on the part of the engineer and the entire mechanism should consequently remain in much better working order than would otherwise be the case. It is believed that the construction, operation and advantages will be readily apparent from the above without further explanation. J

While we have shown and described the preferred embodiment of thevinvention, it should be understood that the disclosure is merely an exemplification of the principles involved as the right is reserved to make all such changes in the details of construction as will widen the field of utility and increase the adaptability of the device provided such changes constitute no departure from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

Having thus described the invention, we claim:

1. In a locomotive sanding mechanism includin a sand dome, sand traps receiving sand from the dome and having delivery pipes connected therewith, each sand trap having a cleaning pipe leading theremto and having a sand discharge pipe leading thereinto, a compressed air supply pipe, and an automatic valve interposed between each cleaning pipe and supply pi e beyond the point of connection of the ischarge pipe with the supply pipe, said automatic valve being normally open and being adapted to close under the influence of air pressure whereby an initial blast of predetermined duration will be permitted to flow through the cleaning pipe.

2. In a locomotive sanding mechanism, the combination of a sand dome, a sand trap receiving sand therefrom, a sand delivery p pe leading from the sand trap, a cleanmg pipe connected with the sand trap, a compressed air supply pipe leading to the sand trap, and

' a normally open valve interposed between the supply pipe and the cleaning pipe, said yalve being operated by pressure and frictional drag of. compressed air pass ng therethrough for cutting off communication between the supply pipe and the cleaning pipewhereby only a blast of short duration will be permitted through said cleaning pipe.

3. In a locomotive sanding mechanism, the combination of a sand dome, a sand trap re- (:civing sand therefrom, a sand delivery pipe leading from the sand trap, a cleaning pipe connected with the sand trap, a compressed air supply pipe leading to the sand trap, and a normally open valve interposed between the supply pipe and the cleaning pipe, said valve being operated by pressure and frictional drag of compressed air passing therethrough for cutting ofi'communication between the supply ipe and the cleaning pipe whereby only a blast of short duration will be permitted through said cleaning pipe, said valve embodying means for retarding its closing movement.

4. In a locomotive sanding mechanism, the combination of a sand dome, a sand-trap receiving sand therefrom, a sand delivery pipe leading from the sand trap, a cleaning pipe connected with the sand trap, a compressed air supply pipe leading to the sand trap, and a normally open valve interposed between the supply pipe and the cleaning pipe, said valve being operated by pressure and frictional drag of compressed air passing therethrough for cutting off communication between the supply pipe and the cleaning pipe whereby only a blast of short duration will be permitted through said cleaning pipe, said valve embodying partial vacuum creating means for retarding its closing movement.

5. In a locomotive sanding mechanism including a sand trap having a delivery ipe, a cleaning pipe and a fluid pressure supp y pipe connected therewith, the combination of normally 0 en fluid pressure closed means interpose between the supply pipe and the cleaning pipe for permittlng a blast of short duration through the latter.

6. In a locomotive sanding mechanism, the combination of a sand dome, a sand trap receiving sand therefrom, a sand delivery pipe leading from the sand trap, a cleaning pipe connected with the sand trap, a fluid pressure supply pipe leading to the sand trap, and a comprising a body having its inlet and outlet connected with the supply pipe and cleaning pipe respectively and having a seat between the inlet and outlet, a valve member movably mounted within the body and re-- sponsive to pressure therein and frictional drag resulting from (passage of air therethrough to engage sai seat and cut off communication between the supply pipe and the cleaning pipe;

7. In a locomotive sanding mechanism including a sand trap havin a delivery pipe, a cleaning pipe'and a fiui pressure su ply pipe, a normally open valve interpose between the supply P1818 and the cleaning pipe comprising a body aving an inlet and an outlet connected respectively with the supply pipe and cleanlng .pipe and having a seat between the inlet and outlet, a valve member movably mounted within the body and responsive to pressure therein and frictional drag resulting from passage of air therethrough to engage said seat and out off communication between the inlet and the outlet, spring means normally holding the valve member unseated, and means for retarding closing movementthereof.

8. In a locomotive sanding mechanism including a sand trap having a delivery pipe, a cleaning pipe and a fluid pressure supply pipe, the combination'of a valve device comprising a body having an inlet and an outlet connected respectively with the supply 'pipe and cleaning pipe, the body being provided between the inlet and outlet with a. valve seat, a valve member movably mounted within the body and responsive to pressure therein and frictional drag resulting from passage of air therethrough to engage said seat and cut off communication between the inlet and the outlet, spring means normally holding the valve unseated, and means for retarding closing movement comprising a piston carried by the valve member, and a chamber within which said piston is slidable whereby a partial vacuum will e formed during movement of the valve member to seated position.

9. In a locomotive sanding mechanism, the combination with a valve casing having a plurality of ports entering a common chamher, a fluid pressure supply pipe connected to only one of said ports and a cleaning pipe connected to another of said ports, a valve mechanism within said chamber including a longitudinally movable member adapted to be actuated by fluid pressure entering said chamber through said fluid pressure supply pipe, said member being adapted to cut off the supply of fluid pressure to said port leading to the cleaning pipe after a predetermined interval of time.

10. In a locomotive sanding mechanism, the combination with a valve casing having a plurality of ports entering a common chamber, a fluid pressure supply pipe connected to one of said ports and a cleaning pipe connected to another of said ports, a valve mechanism within said chamber including a longitudinally movable member and spring means for normally maintaining said member in position to permit the flow of fluid pressure through said chamber to said cleaning pipe, said longitudinally movable member being adapted to be actuated by fluid pressure entering said chamber through said fluid pressure supply pipe to cut off the supply of fluid pressure to said port leading to the cleaning pipe after a predetermined interval of time.

11-. In a locomotive sanding mechanism, the combination of a valve casing having inlet and outlet ports communicating with a common chamber in the casing, the inlet port being located at substantially the center of the chamber and the outlet port being located between the inlet port and one end of the chamber, a fluid pressure supply pipe connected to said inlet port, a cleaning pipe connected to said outlet port, and valve means within said casing normally permitting communication between the fluid pressure supply and the cleaning pipes and movable longitudinally by fluid pressure admitted to said chamber through said supply pipe for cutting off communication to said cleaning pipe after a predetermined interval of time.

12. In a locomotive sanding mechanism. the combination of a valve casing having inlet and outletmeans communicating with a common chamber at substantially the center and toward one end thereof respectively, fluid pressure supply and cleaning pipes connected to said respective means, and means within said casing normally unobstructing said outlet means and movable longitudinally by fluid pressure admitted to said chamber through said inlet means for closing said outlet means after a predetermined interval of time.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

VIRGIL L. FRANTZ. ()REN O. LEMON. 

